Kylie Crabbe appointed Professor of the University

Congratulations to Reverend Professor Kylie Crabbe, appointed Professor of the University by the University Council on 10 December 2025.

Professor Crabbe is a Minister of the Word in the Uniting Church in Australia, and will take up the role of Head of College at Pilgrim Theological College in January 2026. In making the appointment, the Council particularly commended her outstanding contributions to reserach and engagement in the church and community, her strong contributions to learning and teaching, and her leadership in the academy.

The citation reads:

Colleagues within and beyond the University of Divinity have recognised and affirmed the outstanding achievements of Professor Kylie Crabbe as an academic researcher and teacher, and also commended her strong record of academic leadership and professional engagement in the church and wider community.

Regarded as one of the most exciting New Testament colleagues of her generation internationally, Professor Crabbe has developed a rich and ambitious research program. Her 2019 book Luke/Acts and the End of History has been widely reviewed as a landmark study, marked by scholarly rigour and imagination. She leads two major projects funded by the Australian Research Council, one examining the portrayal of disability in early Christian texts and the other considering how ‘nocturnity’, or experience at night, shaped religion and culture in late antiquity. This work is at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary methodologies, and also places Professor Crabbe at the forefront of Australian theological scholars in receipt of competitive funding. Her election as a member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas reflects her stature as an international scholar.

Professor Crabbe is a naturally reflective teacher and greatly appreciated by her students over two decades in both Australia and Great Britain for her clarity and the wide perspectives she offers in the classroom. She brings extensive experience in curriculum design, particularly in research-led teaching that builds skills across disciplines. Her commitment to student flourishing underpinned her leadership of initiatives at ACU to support HDR candidates through each phase of their degree, providing a foundation for improvements across that university. Her sustained work as a doctoral supervisor is marked by respectful engagement and excellent mentoring. Her academic leadership also includes service on the editorial boards of major journals, the chairing of national and international program reviews, and valuable contributions across a range of committees.

Professor Crabbe is a gifted communicator who consistently brings her scholarly expertise to bear on wider public discussion. She has led Bible studies for synods of the Uniting Church in Australia, contributed to national consultations and produced resources for church communities on biblical interpretation, disability and embodiment. Her work informs both policy and pastoral practice. Her work demonstrates her capacity to bridge the academy, the church and the wider community, reflecting the deep and practical engagement of her academic vocation.